Betty Jo Brown, 76, of Midway, Ark., passed away Sunday, Dec. 25, 2016, at Hospice of the Ozarks with her husband, Bud, at her side.

She was born May 28, 1940, in Owen, Wis., the daughter of Adrian and Wanda Schultz Sheets.

Betty Jo grew up in Villa Grove, Ill., and graduated from Villa Grove High School. She attended Southern Illinois University, graduating with a degree in education.

She met her husband of over 56 years, Arley Brown, while both were attending SIU. They were married April 2, 1960.

After graduation, she worked for the University of Illinois as a home extension adviser in southern Illinois. In 1967, she began her teaching career at Rock Ridge High School teaching home economics. She later did post-graduate studies at the University of Illinois and Eastern Illinois University for her certification in special education. She taught special education at Jamaica, ABL and Heritage school districts in Illinois. After retiring from a 30-year career in education, she and Bud moved to the Bull Shoals Lake area in Arkansas.

Betty Jo is survived by her husband, Arley Brown of Midway, Ark.; daughter, Linda Michelle (Steve) Goelz, Peachtree City, Ga.; brother, Roger (Barbara) Sheets, Bethany Beach, Del.; sisters Marsha Allen, St. Amant, La., and Bobbi (Bob) Harrison, Villa Grove: two grandchildren, Ryan Goelz, Peachtree City, Ga., and Dr. Kevin (Megan) Goelz, Birmingham, Ala.; two great-grandchildren, Colton Tyler Goelz and Parker Stafford Goelz, Birmingham, Ala.; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Tim Sheets.

Betty Jo was a loving and beloved wife, mother, sister, grandmother, aunt, friend and coworker. She will be greatly missed by her family and her "family" of friends in the Mt. Home area. B.J is gone, but we will love her forever.

Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday Dec. 31. Visitation will be noon- 1 p.m. Saturday at Joines Funeral Home, South Rt. 130, Villa Grove. Burial will be in Centennial Cemetery, Villa Grove.

Memorials may be made to the Hospice of the Ozarks, 701 Burnett Dr., Mt. Home, AR or to a charity of the donor's choice.